The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for receiving a large number of containers or other objects, such as medical vials, in a randomly oriented fashion, and feeding the vials in a properly oriented manner to another location on an individual basis. More specifically, the present invention includes a vial hopper and feeder assembly that may be used in conjunction with automated prescription filling devices and systems, wherein the vial hopper and feeder assembly is configured to allow an operator to simply dump a large number of vials into a hopper in a random orientation, and the feeder assembly has the capability of selecting individual vials, orienting them in the proper direction, and delivering them individually in assembly line fashion to the next step of the prescription filling process.
It is becoming increasingly common for pharmacies to employ automated devices and systems to fill and refill prescriptions of medications, particularly in pill or tablet form. The ever-increasing demands on the time of pharmacists, including additional regulatory requirements and the need for more patient counseling, has combined with increasing labor costs to necessitate automation of the mundane tasks of pill-counting, bottle labeling and filling medical containers (or vials) in the prescription filling and refilling process. Many different apparatuses and systems have been developed to accommodate this need over the last few years.
As a part of the automation process for filling prescriptions, one particularly vexing problem has been how to automate the process of individually feeding medical vials in their proper orientation (open-side up) from a hopper or container that houses a large number of vials. In some cases, the hopper that initially receives the vials includes a cartridge, which is filled with vials that are already oriented in the same direction, so that the system is not required to perform the orientation task. One major problem associated with this method and device is that it takes a pharmacist (or assistant) quite a bit of time to individually load the vials into the cartridge so that each vial is oriented in the same direction. This process is much like manually loading a soft-drink vending machine with cans or bottles that are all oriented in the same direction.
Other devices use a variety of assemblies and methods to deal with the vial orientation and/or feeding issue. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,563 is directed to a medicine vial dispensing apparatus including a housing for storing medicine vials in a substantially axially horizontal storage orientation and a dispensing assembly for dispensing the vials in an upright orientation. The preferred embodiment includes a pair of spaced, resilient arms having respective, inwardly extending prongs that receive a vial therebetween. A slotted, rotating wheel receives a vial in the storage orientation and places it between the prongs. The closed end of the vial slips by one of the prongs while the other prong holds the interior surface of the open end until the vial attains a substantially upright orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,796 discloses an apparatus for guiding the movement of a flanged vial during an automated process to prevent be flange from disrupting the movement of the vial during the process. The apparatus includes a receptacle with a narrowing peripheral all adapted to receive the vial during a vertical drop and direct the movement of the vial toward a slide. A weighted flap contacts the vial as the vial moves along the slide, slowing the descent of the vial, holding the vial against the slide, and pivoting to accommodate the flange. A platform catches the vial.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,047,352 describes A vial supply device having a receiving section with a large capacity and capable of reliably discharging the vials includes: a receiving section for receiving many empty vials; a conveyance unit having a horizontal endless member located at a bottom wall of the receiving section and being configured to be driven a horizontal direction, the conveyance unit being further configured to convey the vials in a horizontal direction by using the horizontal endless member; and a discharge unit having a vertical endless member located at a wall of the receiving section and being configured to be driven in a vertical direction, the discharge unit being further configured to lift the vials upward and discharge the same while allowing the vials to be horizontally supported at support members located at the vertical endless member at predetermined intervals.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,403,010 is directed to a tablet filling device, which can supply vials without any stop of the device even if the vials cause a jam within a stocker. The tablet filling device is related to removing a vial from a stocker accommodating a large number of vials according to a prescription data, dispensing tablets into the vial to fill the vial, and discharging the vial filled with the tablets. The stocker includes: a vial removing device configured to scoop the vial accommodated in the stocker upward to remove the vial; and a vial conveying device configured to convey the vial toward the vial removing device. When a jam of the vial occurs, the vial conveying device is reversely driven.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,944,281 describes an upright vial discharge unit. The medicine packing machine is equipped with a loading unit that is capable of receiving and delivering vials retrieved from a stocker, and a supplying unit that is capable of delivering the vials from the loading unit in upright position. A control unit is also disposed between the loading unit and the supplying unit. As a result of the presence of the control unit, the transfer of vials received by the loading unit is controlled by the control unit in such a manner that the vials are not ejected towards the supplying unit. The vials are also controlled so as to be in an upright position once loaded into the loading unit. As a result of these actions, the vials received by the loading unit are reliably delivered to the supplying unit without being ejected or jamming at unanticipated locations.
All of the above-referenced U.S. patents are hereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety.
However, each of these devices and systems have disadvantages and problems associated therewith. It would be desirable to provide a simple, efficient, low-cost, automated vial hopper and feeder assembly module that could be used in conjunction with other automated devices for filling and labeling prescription bottles, and the like. Further, it would be desirable to provide such a system wherein the hopper could be loaded with bottles in a random orientation, so that a person could simply dump a load of such vials into the hopper without regard to their orientation, thus saving time, money and effort on the part of the pharmacist or worker. Moreover, it would be advantageous to provide such a system that could receive a vial, recognize its current orientation, and then take steps to place the vial in the proper or necessary orientation without the need for human intervention.